Apples, rainbows and our sense of justice have absolutely nothing in common, except that they all somehow ‘exist’. But what does it mean to say that something ‘exists’, that something just ‘is’? What do existent things have or do that non-existent things don’t? Philosophers have pondered this question for millennia, yet there appears still to be no real consensus. In this short course we elaborate the underlying concepts, and construct from them a framework for understanding – perhaps even resolving – the riddle that is ‘existence’.

This course addresses one of the many topics covered in Tibor’s series of courses entitled ‘Philosophy for Science’; and is ideal for anyone with an interest in the scientific framework in terms of which we understand the physical world. Although philosophically rigorous and intellectually demanding, this course is designed for a lay audience and no prior knowledge of philosophy or science is assumed.